You know the creed by heart, you have memorized every national officer’s name from the past 10 years, and celebrated 50 years of women in FFA. Or maybe you just want to know a few FFA facts to use in an ice breaker or impress your advisor with how much you know. Look no further. Check out these seven FFA facts that you may or may not know.
While there are many facts about the National FFA Organization and its history, these are a few of our favorites.
- Membership — While every FFA member and FFA chapter are important in the makeup of the National FFA Organization, there are five states that excel in membership. This year, the top five student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Florida, and Oklahoma. In 2020, Texas had the most members with 137,500 active FFA members. Since 2010, FFA has seen a near 30 percent increase in membership, averaging over 22,000 new members annually. On average, there are 92 members per chapter.
- Diversity & Inclusion — If we have learned anything about the year 2020, it is that this is the year of inclusion. For the National FFA Organization, that means expanding and continuing their role in inclusion. This year, 44 percent of the membership is female, with 51 percent of the membership being male. In 2020, the organization has more than 115,831 Latino members, more than 40,000 Black members and more than 12,000 members who are American Indian and Alaska Native. Their newly announced initiative plans to continue their diversity work.
- FFA emblem — The National FFA Emblem was adopted in the first national convention in 1928. The emblem consists of five symbols, along with the words “Agriculture Education” and “FFA,” to tell the history, goals, and vision of the organization. Read more about the meaning and symbols of the emblem here.
- Jacket — In 1933, the blue corduroy jacket was adopted as Official Dress. Now, 87 years later, that tradition continues. However, did you know in 1930 the first Official Dress uniform was a dark blue shirt, blue or white pants, blue cap and yellow tie. More than 50,000 jackets are manufactured every year.
- Blue & Gold — Over the past 91 years, we all have come to love the blue and gold that represents FFA. In 1929, the national blue and corn gold colors were adopted as the official FFA colors.
- Record breaking numbers –– The National FFA Organization announced a record-high student membership of 760,113, an increase from last year’s 700,170 members. On average, that is 92 members per chapter.
- Membership dues — In the beginning of the National FFA Organization, membership dues were 10 cents per year. Although dues have gone up since 1928 — just $7 a year today — you still get a lot of bang for your buck.
National FFA CEO Mark Poeschl said, “Our FFA members are the future generation of leaders who will be making an impact in the industry. As we continue to bring agricultural education and FFA to more students, we see the enthusiasm of this generation reflected in the growth of our organization.”
While the National FFA Organization has a strong history and traditions, we are even more eager to see what the future holds for the organization. The National FFA Organization is the largest youth organization in the United States and continues to help students find their path in life.
